Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Sending my condolences and prayers to the family,

C/O (retired) Richard D Thompson
California Department of Corrections

July 20, 2025

I am so deeply hurt for this tragedy that took Agent Byrd from us. He accepted the call to put his life on the line. He gave gave his life standing between us and danger. For that I am forever Grateful. Lord put your mighty protection around His Wife, Children, Family, Fellow Officers and Friends in these days to come. This Blue Line they walk is very Thin. God Bless You All!!!

Former Police
Tennessee. Spiritual Caregiver

July 20, 2025

Rest in peace, Parole Agent Byrd. Praying for your loved ones.

Officer C Curione (Retired)
Rochester Police Department, NY

July 20, 2025

Parole Agent: Byrd, was a man doing an incredibly important Public Safety duty when he was gun down.
I pray for his family, friends, and colleagues at the Parole and correctional Department in that state.
God brings comfort to his family, knowing that he was a hero. Having served our nation in the Navy.
God Bless all Lawmen.

Rev. Sandro Anaya
Badge: 2956
Church Chief Police Chaplain
Revere Police Watch Chaplaincy

July 20, 2025

Condolences so sorry. Rest in peace brother.

Priscilla Sobremonte LCSW EdD. United States Air Force Veteran. Retired Merced Parole BHR.

Priscilla Sobremonte
Adult Parole BHR retired

July 20, 2025

God bless you Agent Joshua Lemont Byrd, for your service and sacrifice. Thoughts and prayers go out to your family and friends, and to your brothers and sisters from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Rest in Peace Brother.

Officer Jim Drabos (Retired)
San Gabriel (CA) Police Department

July 20, 2025

“The Watchman’s Last Call”
Agent Joshua Lemont Byrd

Verse 1:

He wore the badge, but more than that,
A father of three, a man who had
A heart for duty, a soul that served—
Joshua Byrd, you gave more than we deserved.

From the Navy ships to Oakland streets,
He stood for justice, never knew defeat.
Eleven strong years, side by side
With the broken, the lost, those trying to rise.

Chorus:

Raise the flag, lower the lights,
Another guardian lost to the fight.
You gave your all with honor and grace,
Now the stars reflect your face.
Agent Byrd, may you rest in peace—
Your watch is over, your soul’s released.

Verse 2:

Midday sun, Edgewater shook—
Evil struck without a second look.
A parolee’s hand, a coward’s crime,
Stole a hero from his time.

You stood the line others fear to tread,
Uplifting lives, not just arresting threats.
Husband, father, servant, vet—
Your name is one we won’t forget.

Chorus:

Raise the flag, lower the lights,
Another guardian lost to the fight.
You gave your all with honor and grace,
Now the stars reflect your face.
Agent Byrd, may you rest in peace—
Your watch is over, your soul’s released.

Bridge:

Your badge reads 7585,
But behind it lived a heart alive.
A man who saw the good in pain,
Who stood for hope through wind and rain.

Now we cry, but through the tears,
We’ll carry your legacy for years.
From the halls of CDCR,
To every life you helped go far.

Final Chorus

Raise the flag, let the trumpets play,
A soldier, a peacekeeper has gone away.
Your memory won’t fade with time—
It lives in us, your light still shines.
Agent Byrd, may you rest in peace—
Our hearts salute you… your soul’s released.

A fellow at CROP
A fellow a CROP, Agent Byrd is my roommate parole agent

July 19, 2025

MY HEARTFELT PRAYERS AND MOST SINCERE CONDOLENCES ARE WITH PAROLE AGENT BYRD AND HIS LOVED ONES. REST IN PEACE BROTHER. GODSPEED.

INV. RICH WYNN, RET.
WILL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT., ILL.

July 19, 2025

Rest in peace hero.

J R

July 19, 2025

Rest in Peace…

Retired Detective Ed Falkowski
Syracuse Police Dept, NY

July 19, 2025

I am so deeply hurt for this tragedy that took Agent Byrd from us. He accepted the call to put his life on the line. He gave gave his life standing between us and danger. For that I am forever Grateful. Lord put your mighty protection around His Wife, Children, Family, Fellow Officers and Friends in these days to come. This Blue Line they walk is very Thin. God Bless You All!!!

Former Police
Tennessee. Spiritual Caregiver

July 19, 2025

Parole Agent Byrd, a police officer, should be remembered not by how he died but by how he lived! A brave man has left to secure a safe path for the rest of us to follow. Thank you for your military and 11years of commitment to law enforcement, your family, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Our country is a little less safe without you. Rest in Peace, Brother!

Chief (Ret) Steven Marshall
Georges Mills, NH

July 19, 2025

I am so deeply saddened about this great man’s death. Life in the law enforcement field is dangerous every day you put on a badge and come in contact with people who you might have a negative contact with them. So sorry for the family of this great man. I myself retired from CDCR/DAPO as a Parole Agent and have great respect for all Law Enforcement.

Bernie Roberts
CDCR/DAPO Retried Parole Agent

July 19, 2025

Rest in Peace brother Byrd. Your time here is done. You have done well.
Odin has welcomed you Einherjar, to Valhalla. A magnificent hall where Einherjar go after their death in battle. You will feast and fight alongside Odin against the forces of Chaos for the preparation of Ragnarök. The end of the world.
Thank you for you faithful 11 years of service to your community, your state and your country.
You are gone, but you will never be forgotten in spirit.
Blessings to your family, friends, co-workers and all of the public safety family.
We are in it together, for some have forgotten that freedom is not free.

Cpl Jesse Cook - Retired
Georgia Dept of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division

July 19, 2025

I am sad to learn of the passing of a Brother and Hero in Parole Agent Joshua Lemont Byrd. I know our Heavenly Father has welcomed him home into his loving arms where he will now patrol the Golden Streets of Heaven. May the Lord deliver Blessings, Comfort and Peace to his Family, Friends and all Members of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California.

Retired, T W Martinez
FOP member
State of New Mexico/JJS

July 19, 2025

Thank you for your service Sir. May you rest in peace.

Cadet C. Morales
Rio Hondo Police Academy

July 19, 2025

Rest in Peace Brother

Thank you for your service and ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

Prayers for you and your family

GOD BLESS

Firefighter (Retired) Ronald Lavallee
Lawrence, MA Fire Department

July 19, 2025

Rest In Peace Brother.

Det. Andreoli
NYPD-Retired

July 19, 2025

Thank you for your sacrifice for our nation. May you be with the Lord and may he be with your family.

Det. Russ Cain


Pittsburgh PD (Retired)

July 19, 2025

Rest in peace Brother....My thoughts are with your family, friends, and the members of your agency during this most difficult and tragic time

LT. Joseph Ward, Ret
Jackson, NJ PD

July 19, 2025

When I first started as a Parole Agent in 1985, I was assigned to the Oakland #1 unit, and the area where this occurred was where I worked, so I know it well. In the 40 years since I started an a Parole Agent, I cannot remember losing an Agent on duty like this. I'm still processing it and trying to figure out how to come to grips with what happened.

Joshua, even though we never met, and were separated by many years in time, I know you. I walked in your shoes, on the same streets, to the same houses, and met the same people. If anyone can understand, even if just a little, I can.

Nothing said can be enough to assuage the grief of those left behind, but my thoughts are with you. To you, your family, friends, loved ones, and colleagues, I really hope that someday you will find some peace after this. I know it won't be soon, and you'll never "get over" it. You'll just learn to live with it, and pray it never happens to anyone else.

Many people will say, "What can I do for you?" When I lost someone very close to me, people said that a lot. Of course, there really isn't anything they could do, but to me, just the simple and honest desire to reach out had a lot of meaning for me. And that in itself was comforting.

I could say a lot more, but much else would be superfluous, so I end with . . . .

Rest in peace, my brother. You will not be forgotten.

Parole Agent II (Ret), MA, MFT, FACT Bil
Parole Division, Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation.

July 19, 2025

As I said on the post itself, I know that area well. When I started as PAI in the Oakland #1 unit in 1985, that was my area. Nothing said can be enough to assuage the grief of those left behind, but my thoughts are with you. In the 40 years since I started as a Parole Agent, I cannot remember losing an Agent on duty like this. I'm still shocked and I'm not sure yet how to process this terrible loss. May your family, loved ones, friends, and colleagues someday find some peace for themselves.

Rest in peace, my brother.

Bill C Burbridge, MA, FACT, PAII (Ret)
Parole Division, California Department of Corrections & Rehabilita

July 19, 2025

Rest in Peace!

Ptl. B L Waltz (Ret)
Avon Lake PD OH (Ret)

July 18, 2025

May God's hand of peace and comfort be on the surviving family and the rest of the Department.

Chaplain Jesse White
Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop D

July 18, 2025

Thank you for your service to the people and State of California and to the entire country. Rest easy my brother. May your family feel the support and love of us here and all over the country during this most difficult time. May your friends and colleagues especially the Edgewater crew find comfort and peace in this most difficult time. We stand and mourn with the men and women of CDCR. God bless you brother, your family and friends and the men and women of CDCR. Rest easy Agent Byrd.

ICE ERO OFFICER
DHS/ICE ERO San Francisco

July 18, 2025